Fur and All
by SPNOUAT
Summary: Emma loves dogs, but that doesn't mean she isn't slightly upset when a stranger asks her to hold his dog's leash while he ties his shoe only to have him run in the other direction once she does. Now she gets to bring this strange dog back with her to the strange town her son and her just moved to. She gets to deal with a dog who seems to have it out for the local pawn shop owner.
1. Pilot

Emma loved the city. She loved the noise. She loved not having to wave to everyone as she walked down the street. She loved being alone while surrounded by hundreds of people she passed every day. She loved not having to care if she looked perfect, or if someone saw her do something strange; she would probably never see them again any way.

She knew why she didn't come into the city often, it wasn't just around the corner. After recently moving to Storybrooke over an hour away, Emma had seriously started to miss the city even though it had only been a couple months. She still came in sometimes though, when Henry had sleep overs.

Today was one of those days. Henry would be spending the night at Avery's house, and Emma would be spending the night in the city. She had booked a hotel room and a dinner reservation, and had decided to walk around a bit and see some of the stores. She stopped in a used book store for another fairy tale book for Henry. He had just finished all things Hans Christian Andersen, and Emma found a nice copy of a collection of the Grimm's Brothers.

She had decided to walk to a café for lunch when she noticed a short man with a large dog. Now Emma was in fact a grown woman, but come one. Dogs are awesome. So of course she just had to see if she could pet him.

"Can I say hi?" Emma asked the round little man, who jumped slightly and shifted his old red hat across his head.

"Oh, um, sure. I mean- of course." He gave almost a little bow as he stepped back to let her pet the dog.

Emma knelt down to the dog's level, looking straight into his blue eyes. She had never seen such beautiful eyes on a dog before.

"Well aren't you beautiful." She whispered softly to him, before reaching up her hands to scratch both his ears. The dog gave her the strangest expression – almost indignation – before realizing how good it felt to have his ears scratched.

"What's his name?" She asked looking up to the man in the red cap.

"It's, uh, it's Hook." He stuttered.

"As in Captain Hook?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes." He said quickly, with almost a look of hope in his eyes. "You've heard of him."

"I think pretty much everyone has seen Peter Pan at one point or another." She laughed, still rubbing Hook's ears as his leg and tail began to thump on the ground in rhythm with her hands. He stopped as soon as he had done it, shaking his head in what Emma could have sworn was part disbelief and part annoyance.

"Oh, yes. I suppose they have." The hope had gone from the man's eyes to be replaced by something just short of despair.

The man was a strange one alright, as was the dogs.

"He's a German Sheppard right? Just one of the darker ones?" Emma asked, trying to steer the conversation back into normal territory.

"Ah, yes he is." A contemplative look had swept across the man's face as Emma had spoke. "Would you mind terribly holding his leash while I fix my shoe laces?" He asked quickly.

"Sure thing." Emma smiled, strangeness aside, he was a beautiful dog. She had knelt down again to pet Hook when the man suddenly took off at a sprint in the opposite direction.

"Sorry!" He yelled over his shoulder before Emma could process what had just happened.

"Wait, he's coming back. Right?" She asked, looking down at the dog.

Hook seemed pissed, his lips were drawn up over his teeth as he stared after the man who was now gone.

"He's not coming back." Emma said to herself before looking down at Hook. "Seriously?" She complained.

That caused Hook's attention to snap back to her. He gave her a wolfish grin that seemed to say _you're stuck with me now._

"I'm not an animal shelter." She muttered before gathering up more of his leash to lead Hook down the street. "Okay boy," She began looking down at the mutt next to her. "It's gonna be alright. You're owner might have taken off on you, but don't you worry." She paused to rub his ear as they walked. Once again the pup looked offended before leaning further into her touch. "I'm gonna find you a great home."

Emma didn't just want to drop him off at any shelter. She knew half of those places would sooner put a dog to sleep than take the time to find a proper home. Lucky for her she had a friend who worked in Storybrooke's animal shelter.

"Okay buddy, we are gonna go see David."

 _Bloody hell._ Hook thought, looking at the yellow death trap this lass seemed to call her vessel. Hook was having a rough day. It was bad enough that the bloody Queen of Hearts had gotten pissed off at him and thrown him into a portal before the curse had broken, but to add insult to injury the witched had given him paws and a tail before she did. Not to mention the fact that the only companion she had given him was the sorry excuse for a human that had just left him with this, while beautiful, clueless lass. So yes, he was having a rough day, and he was not going to top it off by sitting in the backseat of that contraption.

 _How does she expect me to fit in something so small? Is there any room to move in that thing?_

"Come on boy." The blonde urged him, trying to get him to jump in.

 _Oh no lass, if you want me in I'm going in the front._

She seemed to catch on to his line of thought. "Oh no, don't you dare-"she began before Hook launched all four of his legs into the little yellow devil before bounding straight into the passenger seat.

"Hey!" Emma yelled. "No! Bad dog, in the back. She pointed furiously to the back seat.

 _Not happening lass,_ he thought with a lick to his lips.

"Fine." She snapped, slamming the door with more force than necessary. "You're lucky you're so cute."

 _Cute? Captain Hook is not cute! I prefer dashing rapscallion._

"What?" She asked, looking over to him as the metal beast roared to life. "You're offended that I called you cute?"

 _Smart lass,_ he thought observing her closely.

"Tough shit buddy. You're a cutie." She rubbed her hand across his head to make her point. In retaliation, he licked her hand.

"Oh come on!" She complained, wiping her hand down his coat to get the slime off. "Not cool."

She had hit the high way now, and she rolled down the window to let the evening summer air flow into the car. Hook like the windows down. He stuck his head part way out, before realizing he was acting like a cabin boy on his first sail, leaning his head over the railing as the waves sloshed beneath them. He pulled his head back in quickly.

"What kind of dog doesn't keep their head out the window?" Emma asked, throwing him a befuddled look.

 _Oh lass, if only you knew._

"Either way," She sighed. "When we get to Storybrooke, you get to go live with David."

 _Storybrooke. Perhaps the witch didn't screw me over like she intended,_ Hook thought, watching the road disappear beneath the front of the car. _Perhaps this lass is just what I need to get my revenge._


	2. The Shepherd

Emma had never met a dog quite like this one. The drive back from the city was the strangest of her life. Hook jumped when Emma had turned on the radio not long after passing the Storybrooke town sign, and then preceded to stare at it for the rest of the drive – as if the dog could figure out how the music was coming out of the speakers.

She didn't bother going home first. She had planned on staying in the city all night, but she couldn't very well have brought Hook to her hotel room. _Party of two, one human, one furry,_ she thought almost laughing at what she sure would have been the look on the hotel manager's face as she tried to sneak this large dog in.

Hook looked over at her at the sound of her chuckle, cocking his head to the side as he examined her.

"What?" She asked, peaking at him out of the side of her eyes.

He tongue darted out to lick his nose, and his face seemed to say _I asked you first._

"I was just thinking about what would have happened had a tried to take you to my hotel tonight." She laughed again.

A look crossed the dog's face, and she was positive she had never seen any animal wear such a suggestive expression.

"Don't look at me like that." She scolded. "Great, now I'm talking to a dog." Emma stop talking to the mutt as Main Street came into view.

After an unexplained fire in her Boston apartment Emma had packed up what was left of her and Henry's things for a road trip. She had debated on going south, feeling the sand between her toes. She almost did it too, she was looking at different cities on a map when her eyes landed on Tallahassee. That ended that train of thought quickly. Instead Henry and her wound up heading north. Henry had wanted to see Canada and she agreed. Thanks to a wolf on the road the Bug wound up sideways across Storybrooke's town sign, and Emma and Henry had found themselves in a little bed and breakfast run by a tough old woman.

In hindsight Emma knew she should have left the second the Bug was fixed. Hell she should have left when Henry had first seen the clock tower over the library, called a cab and been on their merry way.

 _Too late for that now,_ she sighed to herself. She was stuck here now, Henry loved it. _And if I'm being honest pissing off the mayor is a perk._ Something about the woman rubbed her the wrong way, and the more she tried to push Emma out of town, the more she wanted to stay.

"Okay buddy," Emma said looking over to the dog again. "Here we are." She had finally arrived at Storybrooke's animal shelter. Getting out of the car, she grabbed Hook's leash to pull him along with her.

Walking through the door, Emma saw David Nolan behind the counter.

"Hey David, back to work so soon?" Emma asked the man. One would think that after waking up from a coma he would have taken a longer break.

"Ah Deputy Swan, what else am I going to do?" He looked at her sheepishly. "How can I help?"

"Well-" Emma stopped. She looked down at the big Sheppard next to her, his wide blue eyes staring up into hers. They held mixed emotions. He looked as if he was almost pleading with her not to leave him here, the other part looked at her with betrayal.

Suddenly, Emma wasn't standing on the tile floors of StoryBrooke Animal Shelter, she was back in her first foster home. Mr. Swan held her hand as Mrs. Swan, her stomach just beginning to look round with her _real_ child, filled out paper work to release her from their care. She still remembered the moment Mr. Swan's hand left hers, and how he didn't look back as they walked out of the door, even when she called after him.

"I-" David was looking expectantly at her now. "I was wonder if you guys knew what kind of food he should get." Emma said nodding to Hook.

"Sure thing." David said, walking into the back to get a bag.

Hook's tail was thumping on the ground now, when she looked down at him again his face seemed to say _I knew you wouldn't leave me here._ Emma had never grown up with dogs, but she was pretty sure he was the only dog in the world who could look that smug. As if he had understood what she had said and that she wasn't leaving him here as she planned.

As David came back out front, explaining the pros and cons of the different kinds of food for Hook, Emma held back another sigh. _Well, I'm down the rabbit hole now._

The metal beast that this blonde siren had put him in was something else. She has pressed a nob in it and suddenly he could hear a woman singing. He wasn't able to do anything but stare at it, in hopes that the tiny songstress would reveal herself. Alas no such luck, the pulled up to a sad looking little cottage and she pressed the nob again, and the singer was gone.

He didn't quite understand where they were, but he was able to gather that this wasn't the sleeping quarters she had mentioned earlier. She had seemed shock at his suggestive face when she mentioned bringing him to bed with her, and he realized that his furry face may not sway the lass as much as his usual mug would.

 _I still won't mind sharing her quarters,_ he thought to himself, watching her long legs as he walked slightly behind her. When the door opened the smells hit him. His newly more sensitive nose could smell others like him. Other dogs stayed here, he could tell that much.

The woman greeted a man behind a counter, and Hook finally caught her name.

 _Swan, a fitting name if I've ever seen one._

It was then that he realized what was happening. She was leaving him here like the other dogs. That would surely make his task more difficult, how was he suppose to find the crocodile if he was locked in those metal cages like the other beasts.

He let out a soft whine to try and get her attention. She seemed lost in her own thoughts however, and merely rubbed gently his ear. Hook wasn't the only one looking for her attention. The man across the desk was looking at her, waiting for her to answer his question. When she finally did, Hook was pleased to hear her say that she merely needed dog food.

 _Not that I'll actually be eating it lass._ It wasn't until the man left the room that she looked down at her again, and when she did he threw her the smuggest look possible. _I knew you couldn't leave me in this brig Swan, I've been in my fair share but that would have been barbaric._

She was looking intently, trying once again to figure him out. _Good luck, love._ As far as he could see, and from what Cora had told him, magic didn't exist in this world. Let alone humans turned dogs.

Swan got both of them back into the metal beast, and they were off. Their next stop was at a much nice place. The blue house looked spacious, and the white fence looked sturdy and new. Child's toys littered the porch as Swan led him through the front door.

"Well, here it is. Home sweet home." Swan spoke softly too him as she unhooked the leash. "Don't jump on anything, or mess anything up. Just – be good." She said with a defeated sigh, placing the dog food on the kitchen table.

Hook's nail clicked on the hard wood floors as he looked around. He saw more toys for a child, a sweater too small for Swan. Moving into a room with a large couch, he saw – well he wasn't quite sure what he saw. They looked like portraits, but he had never seen a painter able to capture someone so accurately. These paintings were an exact copy of Swan. _Well of Swan and a little duckling._ She had a child, but no paintings showed any husband. He turned his head to find that she had followed him.

"Are you- are you looking at the pictures?" She asked him, almost as if she believed he would answer. "You are such a weird dog."

She sat on the couch, patting the seat next to her until her jumped up. "Alright, Henry will be home tomorrow," she began, rubbing both his ears as she did. "He's probably gonna freak out when he sees you. He's always wanted a dog. But you and me, we've got to lay down some ground rules."

He had the sudden urge to lick her face, and when reflecting on his furry state found no reason not to.

"Ugh, rule one," she said, wiping the slobber off of her cheek. "You don't lick me. Rule two, you do not go upstairs. The last thing I need is to have to wash dog hair out of Henry's bed sheets."

 _It's not the lad's bed I'll be staying in lass,_ he thought, fixing her with his best smolder he could.

"Rule three, you need to stop looking at me like that. God you're a dog for Christ sakes, I'm losing it." She leaned back into the couch now, and Hook could resist himself. He jumped forward, both paws into her lap and licked her face. Repeatedly.

"Stop! Stop! What did I just say?" Swan yelled, tossing him off of her and onto the floor. "Don't wag your tail at me." She was laughing now, and Hook considered that a win. "What am I going to do with you?"

 _I have some ideas Swan but we'll need to get me out of this fur first._

"And again with the look. Alright, make yourself at home. Your old owner might have ruined my night in the city, but he can't ruin the master bath tub and a glass of wine." She said, standing up before walking back into the kitchen. Hook thought he was going to like it here. _Well, at least until I locate the crocodile,_ he thought, padding after Swan up the stairs.


	3. Skin Deep

Emma was more than ready to relax. Not only had she just messed up her one night away since moving to this little town, now she had just added another mouth to feed.

 _He probably has to go to the vet too,_ Emma thought glumly. _How much do dog shots cost?_

She should have thought this threw better, she had never had a dog. She liked them, but she really had no idea how to care for one. She had never had the chance growing up. None of her foster homes even allowed pets, let alone teach you how to take care of one. She tried to reason with herself that that was the exact reason she had brought the mutt home in the first place. For Henry, so she could give him everything in this world that no one had ever thought to ask her if she wanted. And boy did she try, but she couldn't deny that smaller part of herself, that young girl watching her first foster father walking out the door. She knew deep down, when she had looked into that dogs eyes that they were one in the same. His beautiful blue eyes held the look you got when you had been left alone.

So now she had a dog. _Henry has a dog,_ Emma reminded herself. She walked into her bedroom, plugging her iPod into her speakers so she could listen to music during her bath. It was then that she realized she had forgotten her wine glass down stairs. _Bottle of wine without a glass, classy Swan, she_ thought, turning around to head back down stairs.

She ran into a furry object as she did so, crashing to the ground at an awkward angle in her desperate attempt to save the wine bottle.

Hook leaned over her, still giving her that doggy smirk that unnerved her so.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked righting herself into a standing position. "Make yourself at home means dog stairs!" Emma grabbed Hook by the collar to lead him back down.

After retrieving her glass Emma went back up, making sure to shut the door behind her. Turing up her iPod she began filling the tub, stripping over her clothes as she went.

Music began filling the room in a low beat.

 _ **"Every time that you get undressed, I hear symphonies in my head. I wrote this song just looking at you. Oh oh oh, yeah the drums they swing low, and the trumpets they go-"**_

Hook stared at the closed door, behind which music was playing. Swan had shut him out. _Rude._ The handle looked simple enough, it was flat and the door swung inward. And, you know, pirate.

The music turned up just as he leapt upward onto the handle, as he predicted, the door swung right in.

What he hadn't predicted was the sight before him.

" _ **Is it weird that I hear violins whenever you're gone? Is it weird that your ass reminds me of a Kanye West song? Is it weird that I hear trumpets when you're turning me on? Is it weird that your bra reminds me of a Katy Perry song? Every time that you get undressed, I hear symphonies in my head. I wrote this song just looking at you. Oh oh oh, yeah the drums they swing low, and the trumpets they go-"**_

Swan stood before him in nothing but flimsy undergarments. Long, long legs. Golden locks falling down her smooth creamy back. While he might not understand what a Kanye West was, he thought the song was quite fitting.

 _Oh I'm most certainly sleeping here._ He couldn't seem to tear his eyes away as Swan reached a hand around her back to undo one of the last shreds of clothing keeping her from his eyes.

He must have made some sort of noise, or the Gods did just truly hate him, as it was that moment that Swan noticed him in her room.

"Jesus Christ!" She yelled, jumping back a few feet, nearly sending herself into the tub in the process. "Don't do that!" She scolded after collecting herself.

For nearly the first time in 300 years Captain Hook felt embarrassed. _Spying like a pimple faced lad._ He dropped his eyes to the ground and shuffled his paws a bit. To add to his embarrassment, he felt the tip of his tail give a sad little wag, as if pinning it between his legs and dropping his ears wasn't pathetic enough.

"There's going to be no keeping you out is there?" His head shot back up as he heard her laugh. It didn't believe he had ever heard such a noise in all his years. She has already stripped down and was now sinking into the soapy water as the music played on.

Embarrassment forgotten, Hook padded into the bathroom. He was surprise at how good the cold floor felt under his paws. Laying down next to the tub, it felt even better against his side and legs. He raised his head to see Swan sipping her drink with one hand, while holding a small book in the other. As the music changed to another song, he lowered his head onto his paws and let out a large sigh.

He was startled by the fingers now working their way through the fur between his ears. Not that he was going to complain.

Emma spent the night without so much as a wink of sleep. It wasn't because her pillow would fluff right - which it wouldn't – or because her blankets were twisted. They most certainly were though. No it was nothing so simply fixed. No, it was because of the large furry beast taking up about 90% of her bed forcing her to sleep in a small ball.

Hook was sprawled from one corner of the bed to the next, and refused to be moved. Every time Emma attempted to shift him to one side of the bed, or down to her feet he would let out a grumpy sigh and snuggle further into her sheets without even waking. As a result Emma was tired, had a kink in her neck and entirely too warm from all the dog hair that was surely working its way into her mattress where it would live forever, mocking any vacuum that dared to try and get it out.

After tossing and turning for another half an hour, Emma finally gave up and got out of bed. Henry would be home from Avery's soon anyway. He had said that he wanted to work more on Operation Cobra and Avery's parents had agreed to bring him by.

The whole fairytale thing was a bit concerning to Emma. An active imagination was one thing, he son had always had one. Believing everyone in town was from a book he had gotten from his new teacher was another thing. Emma wanted to be mad at her, this Mary Margret, for starting this whole curse business, but she couldn't. Not when Emma had seen the way Henry had lit up that afternoon when Emma picked him up from school. Not when suddenly her son wasn't the new kid feeling out of place at his new school but a boy with a mission.

 _A top secret mission,_ she reminded herself. Henry had told her it would be their secret, and as much as Emma knew she shouldn't encourage this fantasy, she revealed in the idea of being the one her son shared his secrets with for a little while longer. Henry would be a teenager soon, and when he was would he still talk to her about everything the way he does now? She didn't think so. Alas, Operation Cobra would have to be allowed to play out.

Just as Emma had filled a large bowl she had gotten from David Nolan with dog food, Hook came padding down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Here boy." Emma said, shaking the bowl a bit before setting it down on the ground.

Never in her life had Emma seen a dog look so offended. Hook's tail had stopped its leisure little wag, and he looked back and forth at Emma's own breakfast and the bowl on the floor.

"No. Absolutely not. That is not for you!" Emma scolded when Hook lifted his nose to the kitchen table. Grabbing her plate Emma pointed to the dog food bowl again. "Eat."

Hook's tongue darted out to lick his nose as he continued to stare at Emma's plate.

"I said no. And no means no this time." Emma responded, thinking of her failed attempt at making him sleep in the living room last night.

"You are not getting this." Emma snapped.

Hook merely looked at her.

"Shut up." Emma said a few moments later, around a piece of pancake as Hook ate her bacon out of his dog food bowl. His tail wagged.


	4. The Crocodile

"NO." Emma said firmly, pushing Hook off the couch and back on the floor. "Henry will be here any moment and you will behave."

Hook's tail thumped against the hardwood floor as Emma watched. The smirk across his face was worry some, but the idea of him and Henry combined was more so. She didn't know how she was going to keep the two of them in line. God forbid Henry decided to pull this dog into Operation Cobra. She could handle a ten-year-old running around town trying to break a make believe curse, but put a dog by his side… She was going to have to make some ground rules about where Henry could and couldn't take Hook.

Emma sat on the sofa with her elbows on her knees, and gave her best attempt at staring Hook down. He gave her another wolfy grin, tongue rolling out of his mouth. From her spot she could hear the front door open, and Henry's loud child steps crashing through the door way. Emma sighed and stood up with another look at Hook, the bastard winked at her. She didn't even know dogs could do that. Good lord she really should have thought the whole 'never had a dog before" thing through when she brought this mutt home.

"MOM! I'M BACK!" Henry yelled rounding the corner and almost running straight into Emma.

"I can see that, and I'm not deaf – yet – so let's use our indoor voices okay kid?" Emma asked, steadying Henry before he could tip over.

But Henry wasn't looking at her. "Mom. Is that- did you – is he- do we have a dog now? Is he mine?" Winking dogs aside, as Emma looked into her son's eyes comically wide eyes she couldn't help but think that this was a good idea.

"Come here kid," Emma said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and walking him towards Hook. "This is Hook. He needed a home so it looks like we just got ourselves a dog."

"Awesome." Henry whispered.

"He's a little strange so be- "Emma began, but it was already too late, Henry launched himself at the big dog.

Emma could hardly understand the words her son was saying. Not surprising though, as the boy's face was pressed tightly into Hook's fur while his arms latched himself around the done in a vice hold that Emma would later graciously call a hug. However, she did think she heard the word awesome thrown around a bit more, along with best day ever, and epic.

"-careful." Emma finished, now giving her own wolfy smirk. Hook's ears were up, but his eyes were now bulging like a fish. "Serves you right." Emma told him. Emma should have gotten Henry Home sooner. At least someone could put this dog in his place.

Henry finally pulled back from the dog. "Can I take him for a walk? Oh can we go exploring? No wait, we need to go to the ice cream shop and get him one of the doggie bowls that they make." Henry said with only a single breath.

"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down kid. How about lunch first? We can take him for ice cream later." Emma smiled. Anything that could make Henry look this happy had to be a good thing.

"Okay, but in the meantime, he needs a code name for Operation Cobra."

Or not.

Emma had always heard that animals were good judges of character, but she had never truly believed in until she found herself walking down main street with Henry and Hook. One-minute Hook was steadily walking beside her, and the next her was pulling at the end of her leash with all his might.

"Hook! Down boy! Heal! Quit it, you great big mutt!" Hook didn't so much as budge. "Well there goes everything I know about dog commands." Emma huffed, digging in her heals as Hook tried to pull her down the street.

"Maybe he's on a trail or something." Henry suggested. "We should see where he takes us!" Before she could stop him, Henry pulled the leash from Emma's grip and was happily trotting away with Hook.

"God dammit dog." Emma muttered to herself before following.

Hook kept a steady pace until he came to a sudden halt outside of the pawn shop. Pulling Henry close to the window, he jumped up onto the glass with both paws and peered in.

"What do you think he's doing?" Henry asked, watching Hook with rapt attention.

"Clearly he's window shopping." Emma smirked, watching as the dog looked in. It was only then that Emma saw Mr. Gold come into view. Hook growled deep, the hair rising along his spine.

"I don't think he likes Mr. Gold." Henry told her, tightening the leash so that Hook dropped back onto all fours.

"Smart dog." Emma muttered to herself. "Okay kid, this had been a blast but what do you say about getting that ice cream now?" Emma out a hand on his shoulder to steer him away. Not soon enough it seemed.

"Ms. Swan." Mr. Gold had emerged from his shop. "And young Henry, how lovely to see you both. And who might this be?" Mr. Gold had a look about him, like he already knew the answer to his question. Though Emma would have to admit he always had that look.

"It's my new dog," Henry said over Hook's growling. "He's not usually like this though." Henry pulled on the leash again, and when Hook didn't move back and actually moved forward towards Mr. Gold Emma took the leash back.

"We should really be going." Emma said, dragging Hook back with perhaps a bit more force than strictly needed, seeing as the mutt collided into her legs.

"Well feel free to come back and look at the shop. But perhaps leave the doggie at home next time." With a small smirk, Gold patted Henry's shoulder.

It took all of Emma's strength to keep Hook from lunging at Gold.

"Easy boy." She muttered to him. "Henry lets go get that ice cream."

Emma was in for a long night. Henry had already gone to bed but Emma was just now heading for her shift. After a pathetic box of doughnuts and the excuse of the animal shelter Graham had gotten her to agree to take the night shift. It most certainly had nothing to do with the fact that Graham mentioning and an animal shelter sent her thoughts straight to a fluffy black dog that she could picture cuddling on the couch with her son at that very moment. No matter what the reasoning, here she was about to head out.

Slinging on her coat Emma grabbed her coffee and opened the door. Only to have a furry black body slip through it.

"Oh no." She said looking down at Hook with as much authority as she could muster. "You are staying here. End of story.

Hook's tongue rolled out of his mouth as he looked up at her with perked ears.

"Crap." Emma sighed, grabbing the leash and following the dog out of the house.

Driving late at night around Storybrooke was about as interesting as Emma expected. She slowly sipped her coffee as the radio played softly. Hook sat patiently in the passenger seat, alternating between looking out the window and watching her.

"It's not polite to stare." Emma told him, for a lack of anything better to do. Hook huffed indignantly through his nose. "You're such a strange dog." Emma laughed.

Hook pressed his wet nose into her hand holding her cup.

"Hey! No annoying the driver. I could kill us both with one slip." Emma put her cup down, glancing over at her dog. "You don't have a death wish do you?" Emma asked him with a raised brow.

He barked at her. She could have swore she heard sass in it. She tried to peer over at him again as she drove, only to glance over his head. She slammed on the brakes as soon as she saw the figure creeping out of the back of the house.

"Stay here." Emma order Hook. "And be quite." She added as an afterthought lunging out of her car. She crept quickly down the side walk, readying her club as she did. As the man came around the corner Emma swung, landing a solid hit to his stomach and dropping the man to the man to the ground. She mentally cheered. At least until she saw who it was.

"This is volunteering?" Emma asked with disbelief, looking down at Graham. He had the decency to look ashamed.

"Plans changed Regina need me to-" he began, standing and only to be cut off by Emma.

"Sleep with her?" She knew she asked it, but her tone stated it.

"No." He rebutted immediately.

"Why were you sneaking out the back door?" Emma asked.

"Because… because Regina doesn't want anybody else to know." He cast his eyes downward.

"Oh my god I wish I was blank anybody else now. This is disgusting" Emma wanted nothing but to leave.

"I really do work in an animal shelter." Graham tried, pleading with his eyes. For what Emma didn't know. Or at least, she wouldn't admit.

"You can finish my shift; I'm done working nights." She tossed the keys to the cruiser to him. Turning on her heels she strode back to the car without looking back, pulled the passenger door open pulling Hook from the car and stomping off with him.

Hook didn't quite understand how he got here. One minute he was inches away from the crocodile, from ripping his throat out with his newly sharp teeth, from his revenge. And then next… and the next he was on the other end of a leash from a fuming woman. Hook wondered if the lass was the kind to kill anything in sight when she was angry. He couldn't help but trail back a bit as she stormed toward her dwellings.

"Works in an animal shelter. Yeah right." Swan muttered angrily. "No, she didn't need me to sleep with her that was just a coincidence." Swan tossed both arms into the air as she ranted, pulling Hook closer to her legs.

Not that he didn't appreciate the view, but he was seriously worried about the lass pulling out one of the many weapons he had seen her arm herself with before leaving the house. He didn't fancy losing another limb. This curse had given him two front paws, and he would like to keep it that way.

"This is why I don't date." She started again. "Men are the worst." They had arrived back at the house now. Hook had never been so glad to see a building before. Swan swung the door open and unhooked his lead. Blasted thing, he really did despise it.

Hook started toward the stairs, expecting Swan to follow. Not hearing her feet on the floor behind him, he turned. Swan had yet to turn back from the door. She stood with one hand still pressed into the wood, head bowed. Slowly, she turned, pressing her back against the door she slid to the floor. Wrapping her arms around her knees she pressed her forehead into her knees.

Hook felt it again, the same strange sensation he had felt when the crocodile had put a hand on the Swan boy. But this time he didn't bark. He strode back over to Emma. He worked his head in between her arms and legs until his head and front legs were in her lap.

As she pressed her face into his fur, he heard the lass whisper a quite thanks.


	5. It's Not Easy, Being Green

Hook was starting to understand the appeal of this place. This small little dinner Swan and the lad referred to as Granny's. The name still didn't make much sense to him. As far as he could see the angry old woman had no relationship to either Swan or her boy. But he supposed he could forgive that, mainly for the wonderful smells floating through the air and the left overs young Henry often snuck him when Swan wasn't looking.

Henry wasn't with them now, however. No it was just Swan and himself, passing through more than anything. Henry had left a something or another at the diner the last time they were in, and Swan had taken him along for the ride. It took an embarrassing amount of what Henry called puppy eyes before she did though.

Trotting by Swan's side they passed the Sheriff, the same man from only a few nights ago whom had made Swan so upset. There were no tears now, but the lass did pull up to a stop at the sight of the man who now held a dart in front of them.

"Emma," the wild haired waitress smiled. "What can I get you?" Hook was surprised by the lack of an innuendo in his mind, especially considering the skirt length the lass wore.

"Nothing." His Swan said coolly before pulling him along passed the pair and toward the door, sparing not even a glance for the man behind them.

Just as they reached the door however, the dart in the Sheriff's hand landed in the soft wood of the frame, close to Swan's face.

The whole diner went quiet, all turning to look back at the Sheriff. Hook felt the hair along his back rise ad a low growl came from his chest. His Swan, on the other hand, was not quiet.

"What the hell?" She demanded. "You could've hit me. Or him." Emma gestured down towards Hook.

"I never miss." _Cocky bastard,_ Hook thought, imagining how well his new teeth could rip through flesh. "You've been avoiding me since you saw me- "

"Leaving the mayor?" _At girl,_ Hook bared his teeth as Graham walked closer. "And yes that is a euphemism." Hook had to admire her spark, even more so than when it was directed at him. "I'm not avoiding you Graham I just have no interest in having this conversation. It's your life, and I really don't care."

Hook could hear the lie in it, but he ignored it. Just as he ignored the sudden drop in his stomach. It didn't matter anyway, as Swan swooped both of them out of the diner and out onto the wet sidewalk.

"If you don't care then why are you so upset?" _Bloody well give up already mate,_ Hook snarled to himself as the man raced out of the door behind them.

"I'm not upset." Another lie, another drop. Hook wondered if his claws could hook the ground hard enough to pull Swan far, far away from this conversation.

"If that were true you'd be at the bar with me having a drink and not running away." He skidded to a halt in front of them, Swan only paused for a moment though, sweeping by him again.

"It's none of my business, really." There was less anger this time, more resignation.

"Can we please talk about this," _How about not?_ "I need you to understand."

"Why?" Swan did stop this time.

"I don't know, maybe so I can understand." _Bad line mate, bad line._ Hook's fur had yet to lie flat along his back, and at this point he wondered if it ever would again.

"You need analysis go talk to Archie." _Bloody brilliant Swan, send him somewhere else, anywhere else._

"I want to talk to you."

"Well your bad judgement is your problem not mine." His stomach lifted a little at that, and Swan started walking again, a little faster this time.

"You don't know what it's like with her. I don't feel anything. Can you understand that?" He caught up again, damn him.

"Bad relationship? Yeah I understand a bad relationship. I just don't want to talk about yours." She pulled tighter on Hook's leash, keeping him in pace with her.

"Look I know you and Regina have your own issues and I should have told you about that before you took the job." Hook wanted him gone, but he still found himself cringing at the fury that rolled off of Emma at the declaration.

"Yeah why the secrecy?" Emma stopped walking again. Were they ever going to make it down this road? "We're all adults, you can do whatever you want!"

"Cause I-" the Sheriff faltered for a moment. "I didn't want you to look at me the way you are now." He was getting desperate. Hook could see the same puppy eyes that had got Swan to open the car door for him reflecting off Graham's face.

"What do you care how I look at you?" _Not a real question, even if she wishes it were._

"Because…" Hook didn't like where this was going.

"What?" Swan asked with a shake of her head.

Before either him or Emma could move, Graham did. The bastard swept forward and pressed his lips against Swans.

Hook wasn't quite sure who broke off the kiss. All three of them seemed to move at the same moment. Swan took a step back just as Hook launched himself away from the Sheriff. Had he been hoping to pull Swan away using the leash? Maybe. But it was purely because he was tired of standing there. Obviously it had nothing to do with the rock in his stomach. Nothing at all.

The Sheriff, Hook realized, had moved away too. As if something shocked him. As if he had been pulled out of his body for a moment only to be launched back in a moment too quick.

"What was that?" Swan cried out.

"Did you see that?" The look of shock was back on the man's face.

"How much have you been drinking?" Emma demanded, once again tightening the hold on Hook's leash until his side was pressed firmly against her leg. "That was way over the line."

"I'm sorry." _You will be,_ Hook thought baring his teeth once more. "I just-"

"What?" Swan yelled. "You what?"

"I need to feel something." The sheriff said while shaking his head and stepping closer.

"Listen to me Graham," Hook didn't particularly like when Swan said the man's name. "You are drunk and full of regret. I get it." Hook would ponder that statement later, when the man step back from Swan. "But whatever it is you're looking to feel I can tell you one thing, you're not getting it with me." Swan pushed around him for what Hook hoped would be the last time.

The ride back to swan's place was quiet. She left the music box off, and the windows up. Hook could still feel the tension radiating off of her.

As she turned the wheel in front of her Swan glanced at him for the first time since leaving Granny's. "Easy boy." She muttered, running her hand down his back. It was then that he realized the hair along his spine was still raised. He tried his best to flatten it.

"Poor thing." She kept stroking his back. "All that yelling probably wasn't fun for you was it?" She reached up to scratch behind his left ear. Oh how he wished he could stop his hind paw from thumping in rhythm with her fingers.

"It's all okay." She soothed. "It's fine."

It didn't feel fine. Not _Graham,_ not Swan. Not himself.


End file.
